Trolley



(No Model.)

A. TRAVAGLINI.

TR'OLLEY.

No. 596,131. Patented Dec. 28,1897.

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UNITED STATES ATENT Erica.

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,131, dated December 28, 1897.

Application filed November 13, 1896. Serial No. 612,011. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it'known that I, ANTONIO TRAVAGLINI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trolleys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in trolleys for electric cars, and has for its object to so construct and arrange a trolley of this description as to permit two cars running in the opposite direction upon parallel tracks to pass each other while their trolleys are traveling upon one and the same wire without interfering with each other, by which arrangement a large expense will beobviated in the construction of trolley-lines, since but a single feed-wire will be needed for the operation of cars passing in both directions.

With this end in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which thisjnvention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, its construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is an end view of a portion of a tro1leycar, showing the application of my improved trolley thereto; Fig. 2, an enlarged view of two trolleys passing in opposite directions, the dotted lines representing the position assumed by the trolley which has not the right of way in its passage beneath the trolley which has the right of. way; Fig. 3, a section of two trolleys in the act of passing each other. Fig. 4. is a vertical section of a single trolley engaging the rack-bar at the terminus of the line.

In carrying out my invention as here em-v bodied, A represents a pole which may be of any convenient form,'and this pole is pivoted at B to a suitable bracket 0, the latter being secured to the top of the carand having a cross-bar D, to which the springs E have one of'their ends attached, while their opposite ends are attached to a collar F, secured to the pole, the effect of this being to give the upper end of the pole a tendency to move upward when depressed in either direction, as will be readily understood and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Projecting outward from the upper end of the pole is a spindle G, having j ournaled upon its outer end, which is reduced for that purpose, the trolley-wheel H. This wheel may be of the usual form, having a groove in its periphery for insuring its tracking upon the feed-wire I, and the distance that the bracket projects to one side of the car and the length of the spindle upon which is journaled this wheel should besufficient to reach a point midway between the two parallel tracks in order that duplicate trolleys upon cars on either track may reach the feed-wire which is strung equidistant from the tracks and parallel therewith. The trolley-wheels thus arranged will be held in contact with the feedwire by the springsE, and two of such trolleys traveling in opposite directions will act in the same manner as an ordinarytrolley until meeting each other, when it will be necessary for one to pass under the other, and this I provide for in the following manner: A sleeve J is fitted upon the spindle G and has an enlargement K at its inner end, in which is formed an annular groove L, and in this groove is fitted a lug M, carried by the slideblock N, which latter is fitted within a suitable guideway within an enlargement of the spindle and has screw-threads thereon with which the screw 0 is adapted to engage, and

this screw is prevented from longitudinal movements in either direction by the pin P, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that when this screw is revolved in either direction the block N will be moved to or fro and in turn will cause the sleeve J to move in or out, as the case may be. The sleeve J has formed therewith a plate Q, which latter is provided with a fin R, whose under surface is so curved as to permit the upper ends thereof to lie in close proximity to, if not in contact with, the feed-wire when the trolley is traveling thereon, and when this fin is in the same vertical plane with the trolley-wire the central portion of the fin passes immediately beneath the trolley, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and this fin is brought into the same vertical plane withthe trolley by the proper manipulation of the screw 0, as before described. The manipulation of the screw is brought about by a wheel S, which is secured upon its outer end, and the periphery of this wheelisadapted to travel upon a fiat rail or surface \V, so located that the wheel will pass thereon while the trolley is traveling upon its feed-wire, and in practice such a rail is located at each terminus of the line, and as the wheel passes upon one or the other of said rails the fin, as before described, will be drawn inward out of line with the trolley-wheel or moved outward into line therewith.

From this description the operation of my improvement will be obviously as follows: Assuming that two trolley-cars running upon parallel tracks in opposite directions are fitted with my improved trolley, so that the wheel of each trolley will travel upon the same feedwire, which is strung equidistant between the two tracks, and that the trolley of one of the cars has its fin in vertical alinement therewith,which will give it the right of way,as hereinafter set forth, while the other trolley has its fin withdrawn out of vertical alinement with its wheel,when these trolleys meet the one having right of way will remain upon the feedwire,while the wheel of the other will pass onto the fin of the one having the right of way and ride downward and around the other trolleywheel until again passing onto the feed-wire upon the opposite side thereof, thus permitting it to continue upon its course without interfering with the trolley having the right of way. Now when the trolley which does not have the right of way reaches the terminus of the line the wheel S thereof will pass onto a rail lV,suitably located, as before described, which will cause said wheel to revolve in the proper direction to so manipulate the screw 0 as to move the fin outward into vertical alinement with the trolley-wheel, whereas the trolley which previously had the right of way, reaching the opposite terminus of the lin'e,will have its fin drawn out of vertical alinement with its wheel, thus giving the right of way to one car and taking it from the other when they start in an opposite direction.

In order that the plate carrying the fin may be kept in a horizontal position regardless of the angle at which the pole may stand, the rods T are pivoted to this plate at U and passing downward enterinto contact with the bar D at V, and this will produce a parallel movement, so that when the angle of the pole is changed the plate will be caused to swing thereon through a like degree and thus remain at all times parallel with the bar D, which being horizontal will maintain the plate in a horizontal posit-ion.

The pole is free to be swung to either side of its center in adapting it for operation in connection with the feed-wire when the car is moving in either direction.

By the use of my improvement little or no cost is added to the fitting of a trolley to a car over the old system, while but a single feed-wire is necessary for the operation of cars passing over two parallel tracks in either opposite or like directions, thus effecting a large saving in the original cost of construction of such a line, while effecting a continual saving in the cost of repair and maintenance.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- 1. In combination with a trolley-pole, a trolley-wheel carried thereby, a fin adapted to be brought into vertical alinement with the wheel or removed therefrom, and means for automatically operating the fin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a trolley-pole, a spindle carried thereby, a trolley-wheel journaled upon said spindle, a sleeve fitted to the spindle, a fin carried by said sleeve, said fin being of such shape as to cause a trolley-wheel traveling in an opposite direction to pass below and around the first-named trolley-wheel, and means for automatically carrying said fin into and out of an operative position, as specified.

3. In combination, a pole, a spindle carried at the upper end thereof, a trolley -wheel journaled upon said spindle, a sleeve fitted to the spindle, a plate carried by the sleeve, a fin formed with the plate, a sliding block so connected tolthe sleeve as to move therewith, a screw secured to the pole engaging with threads formed upon the block, and a wheel S for manipulating the screw so as to operate the fin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination, a bracket, a pole pivoted thereto, a spindle carried at the upper end of the pole, a trolley-wheel journaled upon said spindle, a sleeve fitted to said spindle, a plate formed with the sleeve, a fin carried by said plate, means for moving the fin into or out of vertical alinement with the trolley-wheel, and means connecting the plate and bracket for maintaining the plate in a horizontal position, as specified.

5. In combination, a pole, a spindle carried at the upper end thereof, a trolley-wheel journaled upon said spindle, a sleeve fitted to said spindle, aplate formed with the sleeve, a fin carried by said plate, means for moving the fin into or out of vertical alinement with the trolley-wheel, rods T pivoted to the plate, and a bar against which the lower ends of said rods abut for maintaining the plate in a horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The herein-described combination of a bracket 0, a bar D carried thereby, a pole pivoted to said bracket, a spindle carried by the upper end of said pole, a trolley-wheel journaled upon the outer end of said spindle, a sleeve fitted to the spindle, a plate Q carried by the sleeve, a fin formed with the plate,

a block so attached to the sleeve as to move I therewith, a screw secured to the pole engaging with threads upon the block, a wheel S for revolving said screw, said wheel adapted to work in conjunction with a rail W properly located, rods T pivoted to the plate at their upper ends, their lower ends abutting against the bar D, and springs E for giving the trolley-Wheel an upward tendency, subthe spindle, a fin carried by the sleeve, a"

screw secured to the pole adapted to actuate the sleeve and means for automatically operating the screw, as and for the purpose described.

9. In a device of the character described, a pole, a spindle thereon, a trolley-Wheel journaled on the spindle, a sleeve slidable on the spindle, a fin carried by the sleeve, a slidingblock having a lug fitting in an annular groove of the sleeve, a screw threaded to the block, a pin securing the screw to the pole and means for operating the screw, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ANTONIO TRAVAGLINI.

Witnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMSON, MARK BUFORD. 

